WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Dune: Prophecy episode 5.
Desmond Hart finds what appears to be a Brotherhood dress in Dune: Prophecy episode 5 “In Blood, Truth”, which indicates that he may have discovered Mikaela's true identity. Dune: Prophecy is a six-part series based on the 2012 novel Dune Brotherhoodwhich was written by the original Dune son of author Frank Herbert, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The story takes place more than 10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreidies, narrated in the book by Denis Villenueve. Dune (2020) and Dune: Part Two (2024). Dune: Prophecy reveals the origins of the powerful shadow brotherhood known as the Bene Gesserit and how they manipulated the destiny of humanity.
Dune: Prophecy Episode 1 “The Hidden Hand” introduced Emily Watson's Valya Harkonnen, a fierce and calculated leader, and her biological sister, Tula Harkonnen. Dune: Prophecy episode 2 reveals what happened to Lila and her grandmother, Reverend Mother Dorotea, after Tula and Valya Harkoennen encouraged her to endure a life-threatening ritual known as The Agony. In Dune: Prophecy episode 3, Tula takes Lila's life into her own hands after she apparently died during the Agony ritual and attempts to resurrect her through the use of forbidden technology. Episode 4 reveals that Lila was resurrected via the Thinking Machine, Anirul, while episode 5 shows Desmond Hart's rise to power.
Did Desmond Hart find Mikaela's connection to the sorority with the hidden clothes?
That and the fact that she tried to kill him is pretty telling.
During Dune: Prophecy episode 5, Desmond Hart and his newly acquired Sardaukar infiltrate Mikaela's club in Salusa Secundas, which has been flagged as a smuggling hotbed and an established meeting point for insurgent activity. Desmond arrives just as Keiran Atreides is with Mikaela in the club in the basement below, planting explosives. Kerian must have known that Desmond would come to see Mikaela after he stopped by to invite him on his hunt for insurgents. Desmond was unaware, however, that Kerian was a key part of the resistance along with the Fremen Mikaela.
After the explosives go off, Desmond miraculously survives, which later convinces Natalya that he has indeed been chosen by Shai-Hulud to lead the Empire. Before the bombs go off, Desmond finds a black dress that appears to belong to a member of the Brotherhood. It is also revealed in Dune: Prophecy what Mikaela is actually part of the Brotherhood, so the black dress almost certainly belongs to her.. Desmond is quite perceptive and should be able to figure out that Mikaela, who tried to kill him along with Keiran, is actually a secret member of the Brotherhood.
Why Mikaela needs to hide her true identity
She even hid it from Keiran and his rebellious friends
Mikaela's true identity will likely be included in Desmond's plan to take down the entire Brotherhood in the upcoming finale. Interestingly, Mikaela hid the truth about her Bene Gesserit membership from Keiran and the rest of the rebels, which puts a huge question mark on her character in the final episode. Like her sister Jen, Mikaela has her own ideas and isn't afraid to speak up to the Harkonnen sisters when she disagrees or disapproves. This makes her a wild card in the series, whose full loyalty and motivation have yet to be determined.
When Keiran confronts Mikaela about her dishonesty, she tells him that everyone has secrets and explains her belief in the Brotherhood's grand vision. She tries to explain to Kerian that the Brotherhood wants the best for the Empire and must be trusted. This is either an obvious lie or a damning misrepresentation, considering how the Harkonnen Sisters feel about House Atreides. Keiran Atreides doesn't believe Mikaela's explanation and promptly ends the friendship. It seems that Mikaela may have different reasons for hiding her true identity depending on the individual..
Is Mikaela loyal to the Brotherhood or the Fremen in Dune: Prophecy?
She seems to be playing both sides
As a Fremen of Arrakis, Mikaela likely has the best interests of the planet Dune in mind. As demonstrated in Dune films, the Fremen are an extremely proud people who define themselves by their relationship to the planet Dune and their general sense of honor. Since both Desmond Hart and Mikaela essentially serve Shai-HuludMikalea could end up being a double agent of sorts within the Brotherhood. They are the only two characters who are from Arrakis and who arrived on the Imperial planet under false pretenses. It would be impressive if it were revealed that Demond and Mikaela are working together on Dune: Prophecy finale, but there are enough potential clues that make it a viable option.